{"id":151634,"date":"2014-12-19T13:00:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-19T18:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/?p=151634"},"modified":"2014-12-18T14:02:50","modified_gmt":"2014-12-18T19:02:50","slug":"scary-mommy-american-girl-doll-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/scary-mommy-american-girl-doll-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Scary Mommy:<\/b> Why My Daughter Won\u2019t Be Getting An American Girl Doll For Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><a href=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151659 lazyload\" title=\"Samantha-American-Girl\" alt=\"Samantha-American-Girl\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1.jpg\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1-200x200.jpg 200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 448px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 448\/448;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151659\" title=\"Samantha-American-Girl\" alt=\"Samantha-American-Girl\" src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1.jpg\" width=\"448\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1-200x200.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 448px) 100vw, 448px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/div>\n<div>Last year, when we asked our then-second grader what she wanted for Christmas, her unexpected reply sent a chill up my spine: \u201dI want an American Girl Doll!\u201d I gulped and tried to get ahold of myself.<\/div>\n<p>When I was in elementary school, I loved (and still do) reading. I was thrilled when the brand new series, \u201dAmerican Girls,\u201d came out. I loved reading the stories of Molly, Samantha and Kirsten. They transported us to another time and taught the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stephaniesprenger.com\/2014\/03\/13\/10-reasons-80s-better-today\/\" target=\"_hplink\" rel=\"noopener\">girls of the 1980s<\/a>\u00a0what it might have been like to live in another era. But now? With their very own collection of exquisite dolls, their accompanying wardrobes and nicer furniture than I have in my living room, the only place the American Girls transport you is the poor house. (Is that not OK to say? Credit counseling, then.)<\/p>\n<div>\u00a0These dolls ring up at over $100 a pop, and that doesn\u2019t include the designer wardrobe that is downright essential for any upstanding American Girl doll owner. (Mother? Too much?) There are practically a dozen different dolls to choose from, though of course you can also design the doll to look exactly like your daughter.I remember being perplexed last year to see a Facebook update that read, \u201dWARNING: THE AMERICAN GIRL CATALOG IS IN TODAY\u2019S MAIL!\u201d If only I had known. I would have given anything to have intercepted that damn catalog before my over-zealous, eager-to-fit-in second grader got her greedy little hands on it.When she told me her plan to ask Santa for an America Girl doll, I knew there was no way we were shelling out that kind of money. I patted myself on the back for my quick thinking when, after I sputtered about how they were too expensive and she promptly countered with, \u201dSo what? Santa\u2019s elves can make them!\u201d I immediately dispensed with this thoughtful reply: \u201dSanta doesn\u2019t bring gifts that the children\u2019s parents don\u2019t think are appropriate.\u201d Whew. Side-stepped that dream-crushing land mine. I\u2019d used a similar rationale when explaining why Santa would not be bringing us a puppy the year that her sister was born. Unless he planned on also delivering a year\u2019s supply of red wine, live-in puppy-sitte, and pharmaceutical regimen, Mommy would not be taking care of a new baby and a puppy.But seriously, folks. $120 for a #$%@ing doll? I don\u2019t think we\u2019re in the Cabbage Patch anymore, Xavier Roberts. (Look it up, Millennials.)<\/p>\n<p>And speaking of Cabbage Patch Dolls, may I present Exhibit A as to why there is no way in hell my 7-year-old will be receiving an American Girl Doll for Christmas? Last year, she begged for a Cabbage Patch Doll, and this is how said doll spends much of her time these days:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151635 lazyload\" title=\"2014-11-24-photo6-thumb\" alt=\"2014-11-24-photo6-thumb\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb.jpg\" width=\"399\" height=\"299\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb.jpg 570w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb-267x200.jpg 267w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 399px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 399\/299;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151635\" title=\"2014-11-24-photo6-thumb\" alt=\"2014-11-24-photo6-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb.jpg\" width=\"399\" height=\"299\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb.jpg 570w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/2014-11-24-photo6-thumb-267x200.jpg 267w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 399px) 100vw, 399px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a>I assure you, I did not disrupt the integrity of this scene by posing the doll.Not only that, but she was so psyched about being a Cabbage Patch mama that she spent her Christmas money from her grandparents and bought a companion doll for her gift. That\u2019s right \u201d\u201d a second Cabbage Patch Kid. Do you think I have the vaguest idea where this prized possession is at this moment? Hell, no. I couldn\u2019t even track her down for a second (completely unstaged, I promise) photo.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the thing: if I thought my daughter would cherish and care for an American Girl Doll,\u00a0<em>I would totally buy her one.<\/em>\u00a0(I think.) I would without a doubt buy 7-year-old\u00a0<em>me\u00a0<\/em>in 1985 an AGD. (Can we abbreviate now, please? I\u2019m getting irritated just typing the words out at this point.) I would have adored her, given her a middle name, slept with her and played with her daily. Let\u2019s be honest \u201d\u201d my second grader is a far cry from the nurturing mama-in-training that I was when I was 7.\u00a0<em>And that is completely fine.<\/em>\u00a0I have no issue with the fact that fawning over dolls is not my daughter\u2019s thing. But there is no way that I will spend that kind of money on a toy that isn\u2019t really her thing. Unfortunately, after poring over the AGD catalog that arrived that ill-fated day, she decided they most definitely<em>\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0her thing.<\/p>\n<p>She immediately plastered her walls with posters from the AGD catalog.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151638 lazyload\" title=\"American-Girl-Catalog\" alt=\"American-Girl-Catalog\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog.jpg\" width=\"299\" height=\"399\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog.jpg 427w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog-150x200.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 299px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 299\/399;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151638\" title=\"American-Girl-Catalog\" alt=\"American-Girl-Catalog\" src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog.jpg\" width=\"299\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog.jpg 427w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Catalog-150x200.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>Of course, she also has these stars from your favorite ass clown Disney tween shows on her wall.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151637 lazyload\" title=\"Disney-poster\" alt=\"Disney-poster\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster.jpg\" width=\"299\" height=\"399\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster.jpg 427w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster-150x200.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 299px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 299\/399;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-151637\" title=\"Disney-poster\" alt=\"Disney-poster\" src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster.jpg\" width=\"299\" height=\"399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster.jpg 427w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Disney-poster-150x200.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u00a0In my opinion, the only reason she wants one is because she believes that everyone else has one. And maybe they do. But our family has chosen to spend our money in other ways; for instance, for the price of one of those trendy doll frocks, I could buy myself a pair of shoes. I\u2019m not kidding \u201d\u201d I would think twice about buying myself an outfit that costs as much as some of those AGD outfits.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So unless I decided to buy the cast-off doll of another fickle child consumer off Craig\u2019s List, the big guy was\u00a0<em>not<\/em>\u00a0going to be bringing a mini-me doll down the chimney that year. So, we decided to go with Plan B: We used our 30% off Kohl\u2019s coupon to buy a rip-off doll instead. And our daughter was thrilled.<\/p>\n<p>Several months after the arrival of \u201dJulia,\u201d my daughter\u2019s cherished pseudo-AGD, I snapped this incriminating photo of said doll in her new place of residence: The top shelf of the closet. Please note her disheveled and unclothed appearance. I rest my case.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-151636 lazyload\" title=\"American-Girl-Doll\" alt=\"American-Girl-Doll\" data-src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll-150x200.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 240px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 240\/320;\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-151636\" title=\"American-Girl-Doll\" alt=\"American-Girl-Doll\" src=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll.jpg\" width=\"240\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll.jpg 240w, https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/American-Girl-Doll-150x200.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 240px) 100vw, 240px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This year, no matter how much pleading we hear, we will stick to our policy:\u00a0<em>No American Girl Dolls.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>This post originally appeared on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scarymommy.com\/an-american-girl-doll-for-christmas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Scary Mommy<\/a>. Read more <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scarymommy.com\/hottest-christmas-gifts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>About the Author:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><em><strong>Stephanie Sprenger<\/strong> is a writer, blogger, mother of two, and co-editor at\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.herstoriesproject.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The HerStories Project<\/a>,\u00a0a writing and publishing community for women. She writes about the imperfect reality of motherhood at her personal blog,\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stephaniesprenger.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mommy, for Real<\/a>.\u00a0Connect with Stephanie on\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mommyforreal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/mommyisforreal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Twitter<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>(Photo: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.americangirl.com\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AmericanGirl<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last year, when we asked our then-second grader what she wanted for Christmas, her unexpected reply sent a chill&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1000053,"featured_media":151659,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,5791],"tags":[7353,6907],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":32,"label":"being a mom"},{"value":5791,"label":"Pop Culture"}],"post_tag":[{"value":7353,"label":"gallery"},{"value":6907,"label":"Scary Mommy"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/mommyish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Samantha-American-Girl1.jpg",640,640,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Scary Mommy","author_link":"https:\/\/mommyish.com\/author\/scary-mommy\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":32,"name":"being a mom","slug":"being-a-mom","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":898,"taxonomy":"category","description":"Being a mom isn't easy. 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